{"id":156317,"date":"2026-05-21T14:56:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=156317"},"modified":"2026-05-21T14:56:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:56:12","slug":"what-the-icc-is-losing-by-failing-to-act-justly-and-within-the-spirit-of-cricket-by-denying-senaka-weeraratna-due-recognition-as-the-true-inventor-of-the-player-referral-system-drs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/21\/what-the-icc-is-losing-by-failing-to-act-justly-and-within-the-spirit-of-cricket-by-denying-senaka-weeraratna-due-recognition-as-the-true-inventor-of-the-player-referral-system-drs\/","title":{"rendered":"What the ICC is losing by failing to act justly and within the spirit of cricket by denying Senaka Weeraratna due recognition as the True inventor of the Player -Referral system (DRS)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>Courtesy: AI Overview<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>By failing to officially credit Sri Lankan lawyer <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Decision_Review_System\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senaka Weeraratna<\/a> as the true architect of the <strong>&#8220;Player-Referral&#8221; concept<\/strong> that underpins the Decision Review System (DRS), the <strong>International Cricket Council (ICC) faces significant criticism regarding its moral authority, sportsmanship, and institutional integrity<\/strong>. Advocates argue that the ICC&#8217;s stance violates the &#8220;Spirit of Cricket&#8221;\u2014a core tenet that demands absolute fairness and ethical conduct both on and off the field. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/02\/15\/why-south-asia-must-now-spearhead-global-recognition-for-senaka-weeraratnas-authorship-of-drs\/\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/island.lk\/senaka-weeraratna-the-unsung-architect-of-modern-cricket\/\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/03\/31\/have-the-icc-in-collaboration-with-slc-acted-within-the-spirit-of-cricket-in-dealing-with-the-critical-issue-of-ownership-of-the-intellectual-property-of-drs\/\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Decision_Review_System\">4<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/15\/true-justice-regarding-drs\/\">5<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Loss of Institutional Integrity and Fairness [<a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2023\/07\/28\/the-drs-in-cricket-weeraratnas-claim-as-inventor\/\">1<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Erosion of Moral Authority:<\/strong> The ICC positions itself as the custodian of fair play. Failing to recognize the composer of the game&#8217;s most revolutionary officiating concept undermines its moral authority.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Double Standards in Credit:<\/strong> Critics highlight an unfair disparity. The ICC openly named and celebrated the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icc-cricket.com\/about\/cricket\/rules-and-regulations\/decision-review-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method<\/a> for its inventors, yet leaves the authorship of the DRS uncredited.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The &#8220;Composer vs. Song&#8221; Paradox:<\/strong> The cricket world widely celebrates the DRS for increasing umpiring accuracy by roughly 7%. However, by ignoring <a href=\"https:\/\/island.lk\/senaka-weeraratna-the-unsung-architect-of-modern-cricket\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Weeraratna&#8217;s published 1997 framework<\/a>, the ICC enjoys the &#8220;song&#8221; while refusing to acknowledge its composer. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/the-drs-inventor-senaka-weeraratna-deserves-a-plaque-in-his-honour-by-sri-lanka-cricket-slc\/\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/03\/05\/senaka-weeraratna-the-seminal-figure-of-the-cricket-reformation\/\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/15\/true-justice-regarding-drs\/\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2024\/07\/17\/83144\/\">4<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/03\/10\/if-you-have-the-technology-to-detect-an-error-then-the-same-technology-must-be-used-to-correct-it\/\">5<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/02\/15\/why-south-asia-must-now-spearhead-global-recognition-for-senaka-weeraratnas-authorship-of-drs\/\">6<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/island.lk\/senaka-weeraratna-the-unsung-architect-of-modern-cricket\/\">7<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Undermining the &#8220;Spirit of Cricket&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>A Violation of Natural Justice:<\/strong> Weeraratna originally modeled his player-referral idea on legal jurisprudence, arguing that an on-field umpire\u2019s absolute power violated natural justice. By utilizing a legal technicality\u2014claiming Weeraratna &#8220;waived confidentiality&#8221; by publishing his idea openly in newspapers like <em>The Australian<\/em>\u2014the ICC chooses rigid bureaucratic posturing over sportsmanship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Damaged Trust with Smaller Nations:<\/strong> Analysts note that ignoring a lone voice from Sri Lanka reinforces the perception of a geopolitical bias within cricket&#8217;s governing structures. [<a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2022\/12\/30\/the-drs-technology-as-idea-senaka-weeraratnas-inventive-mind\/\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/03\/27\/icc-overlooks-legal-doctrine-of-constructive-notice-in-denying-any-knowledge-of-concept-of-player-referral-that-became-drs-published-nine-years-1997-before-icc-came-up-with-udrs-in-2006\/\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/02\/15\/why-south-asia-must-now-spearhead-global-recognition-for-senaka-weeraratnas-authorship-of-drs\/\">3<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Broader Cross-Sport Precedent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cricket was the pioneer of the player-led review system. Weeraratna\u2019s core concept has since transformed global sports, directly influencing VAR in football, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/191110\/sports\/why-senaka-weeraratne-should-get-due-recognition-for-the-drs-377119.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Television Match Official (TMO) in rugby<\/a>, and challenges in tennis. By acting unjustly, the ICC misses an opportunity to position itself as a progressive champion of intellectual honesty across the wider sporting landscape. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2024\/01\/25\/what-is-the-origin-of-drs-instant-replay-demanded-by-a-coach-referral-in-baseball-or-player-referral-demanded-by-a-dissatisfied-player-under-drs-in-cricket\/\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/11\/10\/why-senaka-weeraratna-should-get-due-recognition-for-the-drs\/\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/island.lk\/senaka-weeraratna-the-unsung-architect-of-modern-cricket\/\">3<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Impact on Sports Law Curricula and Institutional Reputation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a sports law case study, this dispute offers valuable lessons regarding institutional power asymmetries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u250c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2510<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; THE WEERARATNA VS. ICC NEXUS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2514\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u252c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2518<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u250c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2534\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2510<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u25bc&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u25bc<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u250c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2510&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u250c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2510<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502&nbsp; IP &amp; CREATIVE RIGHTS \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502 SPORTS GOVERNANCE &amp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502&nbsp; IN GLOBAL SPORT&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502 REPUTATIONAL IMPACT&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u251c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2524&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u251c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2524<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502 \u2022 Analyzes conceptual \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502 \u2022 Highlights power&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; \"Player-Referral\"&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; asymmetries between \u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; ownership (1997).&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; governing bodies &amp;&nbsp; \u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502 \u2022 Explores legal limits\u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; lone innovators.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; of copyright in&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502 \u2022 Fuels criticism over\u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; sporting rules and&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; lack of transparency\u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; system designs.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502&nbsp;&nbsp; and recognition.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2502<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u2514\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2518&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2514\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2518<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Intellectual Property Boundaries:<\/strong> The study evaluates whether an abstract concept for a sporting rule change can receive formal copyright protections or if sports federations can absorb public ideas without accountability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Governance Critiques:<\/strong> Analyzing this case forces students and legal scholars to scrutinize how international federations manage grassroots and third-party innovations. Failing to acknowledge outside creators can damage the body&#8217;s reputation among athletes and legal minds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"740\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-15.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-156318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-15.png 740w, https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-15-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-15-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;This image of David v Goliath says it all<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Courtesy: AI Overview<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Courtesy: AI Overview By failing to officially credit Sri Lankan lawyer Senaka Weeraratna as the true architect of the &#8220;Player-Referral&#8221; concept that underpins the Decision Review System (DRS), the International Cricket Council (ICC) faces significant criticism regarding its moral authority, sportsmanship, and institutional integrity. Advocates argue that the ICC&#8217;s stance violates the &#8220;Spirit of Cricket&#8221;\u2014a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-senaka-weeraratna"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156317"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156319,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156317\/revisions\/156319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}